Great tips as always, Joe!

Paradigm shifting for a (so he thought) decent fly fisherman. Thank you very much.

Love the way you set up your camera in front of you to demonstrate suspension nymphing. Well done Joe.👍

Really great info , I always learn great real world tips from your videos , and love your podcast Thank you

Enjoyed the video. Excellent tip on controlling the flow of your indicator. I've been using what I call "Indicator Mends" for many years. You are so right about keeping your nymph at fish feed levels (which most times is near bottom). The varying speeds of current (Top vs Bottom) is not understood by many a flyfisher. Fishing from a moving drift boat changes things.

Thanks Joe, I love the New Zealand indicator. Great info as always.. Thanks…..

Great content!! That’s some slick mending!!! I just bought a Sage r8 10’ 4 wt , Sage arbor xl and a Sage Trout LL 9’ 4 wt from Reds fly shop. The r8 10’ 4 wt is an awesome smaller Stillwater rod. The trout LL is unreal for throwing small bwo’s on my small streams. I just received this gear within the last week or so and Im catching fish on both. Thank you for your quick shipping services!!!!! I trust you folks when I want to purchase expensive items…..

Awesome tip. Can’t wait to practice this a catch a few more.

That is a GREAT tip - it’s going to take some practice, but I am absolutely going to give this a try!

Great info Joe. Hitting the river today and will explore this technique for sure since I will be strike indicator fishing!! Always a great day fly fishing eh!! Stay safe!!

Thank you for sharing your awesome tips. Greatly appreciated!

I love seeing these kind of tip videos and realizing I figured it out on my own and have been doing it that way for years😃

Really useful technique. Thank you!

Always informative videos.

Really good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge

Nice one Joe. With regards to mending I like to think of it as pushing line, not pulling line.

Thank you for the tip, definitely will be trying this on the water next time

Great tutorial Joe, thanks!

Great tip!

Great tips there! That would work in any river in the World. And what a dramatic place you are fishing there! Just found your channel and have subbed! Off to watch some more now.

Welcome to understanding non laminar flow. I tend to use a very bright very small piece of something so fairly close to the top fly 18"-24". Then with the very small indicator I am not fighting the drag of the indicator. Often my indicator will sink, however, as it is that close to the fly, I will actually see the fish flash on the fly. I use this in heavy spring run off. I like your ideas for different conditions.

That's a great color for indicator...

Thank you. My best indicator days have been short casts, a mend and a high stick. I'd rather strip and/or swing but there's no reason to be a hard head.

Great tip!!!

Awsome video

I think too many people are afraid to move the indy when they mend. I have always done this because it just made sense in my head, cool to know its an actual technique!

When you demonstrated the typical mends my jaw dropped because that’s exactly what I did for 5 hours straight earlier today with no bites. Glad I found this video

Great tips

😊that is so good, I have never even seeing that secret in any trout book, videos, or ever heard before, thank you so much, Mil. Ret., Disabled vet., MSG Leum

hmmm very interesting i taught myself how to tie and flyfish a year or so ago and this technique kinda came natural to me idk why it just made sense lol other fly fishers give you weird looks until you catch a couple in a hard or fast drift then they watch to see whats different and it works so good the fly line itself will shoot over the indicator giving you 90 degree drifts longer

I have been doing this lately. Didnt know it was an actual technique lol. I just always try to put my flies in front of my indicator through mending.

I’ve been the worst nymph fisherman for 40 years. My confidence is shot before I even tie on a fly. Your videos will keep me trying to improve

Cool. Skillful

GREAT TIP, this has worked great, since you showed me this in person last year. I highly recommend doing this with a long Euro Rod with any indicator type fly line , wouldn't you agree?

I've been doing this for over 20 years, you are correct, it takes all the pull off the fly so it sinks fast, just be careful about doing this overtop of weary browns and steelhead because flipping that fly line and indicator over their heads can spook them. The key is to do it immediately when the fly lands and set the fly up deep prior to the fly running through the area where the fish are.

I'll say this might be the second-best tip you've ever given. Your right angle, "California", setup was a game-changer for me and you're using it in this video I see. Combining that tackle setup with this mending style, yes, best nymphing tip ever!

Downloaded so I can review streamside while I’m cussin out the fish. Thanks bud

Can't wait to try this. (Need ice to melt first.) This technique makes a lot of sense but what is the effect on the nymph if that drop mend is a little too aggressive? I'd be worried that I'd jerk the fly out of the lane I dropped it in. I'm guessing that I want to make that first cast well above the lane I'm targeting so that when the nymph gets there it's down and the indicator is nicely above it. Is that the goal? Thanks for the great tips as always!

This approach relies on proper indicator to nymph line length. One thing that gets neglected in many of these videos (maybe discussed elsewhere?) is how does one easily determine water depth? How did you know the stream was 5' deep in that area? Experiment? Say I'm new to a stream, is there a preferred method to determine water depth (assuming the bottom isn't visible)?

FYI audio is only coming through on the left speaker. Great vid!

I'm just starting flying fishing this winter and trying to learn. if I'm fishing for steelhead/salmon in a river that ranges from 5-30ft and sometimes fast and slow current from a boat/bank with an 8wt rod what line should i get to get my gear down I'm trying to use wet flies and get 'em deep and think ill try and use a strike indicator. but i dont know what line to get.

Joe. Enjoy your videos. I am curious about the line and leader setup your using. Thanks

Mending was the hardest thing to learn for me, even though I picked it up within 20 minutes of watching KZfaq video's, I just picked up a 4# and a new Lamson reel, I'll definitely have to do this. Nymphing is my favorite way to fly fish, and I've caught 50x the amount of fish fly fishing as just spin casting

Huh - I’ve been doing it like this for a while now just thinking about reducing drag on the fly.

good vid. audio is a little jazzed up on the video but what can ya do?

Great video and info Joe. I especially like your high-stick mini roll-cast method of repositioning the indicator The method of nymph fishing you're showing here was originally developed by Dean Schubert and Dave Hickson back in the late 70's in California. It was published in Fly-Fisherman magazine as the "Hinged Nymphing Method". I taught the Orvis West Coast Fly-Fishing Schools based out of the Orvis San Francisco Store from 1987 through 1997. Dean was the Director and I was the coordinator of the schools. So I worked closely with Dean for 10-years. I typically spent about 140-days a year teaching schools on various spring creeks in CA and OR. Also taught Fastwater Clinics on the Truckee River. The hinged-nymphing method worked great on all of those. We liked to use Spring Creeks for the schools because they are typically clear and slow and your student can see everything that's happening in them. There are a couple of real easy ways to get your nymph directly under your indicator. The first thing we'd teach folks to do, presuming the wind isn't too bad, is to just open up their loop 4 or 5-ft. above the surface. That allows the nymph and shot to enter the water first and the indicator will then land upstream of the fly and will be pushing slack towards your fly. As you pointed out in your video the fly will sink very quickly with no tension on it. The second method when the wind is too strong is to slightly overpower your cast. That will cause the shot and fly (or bead-head or otherwise weighted fly) to hook underneath the line and enter the water first. This is basically Joe Humphrey's "Tuck Cast". You can also get the same result using another Joe Humphrey's cast called his "Up/Down cast" (after stopping the rod on the front cast use a short up/down movement to tuck the fly under the line). Both of these casting methods will give you the desired result. One thing that I want to expand upon slightly is the difference in speed between the top and the bottom currents. They will vary quite a lot, and I wouldn't say it was always 4 times faster at the surface. Depends a lot on the water speed you're looking at and the obstructions on the bottom that slow it down and where you are in the water structure. There's an easy way to figure out when your fly is pulling or being dragged by the indicator, especially when using a yarn indicator. Trick is to be sure there's a longer tuft sticking up out of the middle of the indicator. If you make a good cast as this video shows, there should be no pull on the indicator as the nymph sinks. Watch your indicator closely as it drifts and if that tuft of fur is angling towards the front, your 'cator is pulling the fly and you need to reset the 'cator behind the fly. The high-stick mini-roll-cast that Joe demonstrates here is perfect for that. If you end up with your 'cator too far back you will see that tuft of yarn angling towards the back because it's slowing the fly down. Most of the time you can just let it drift and it will self-correct because of the difference in current speed on the top vs. the bottom as you start your drift. However, in a sloping tailout, the current speeds reverse with the bottom current moving faster than the current on the surface. That's because the volume of water on the bottom is being pushed out of its place by the fast upward-sloping bottom. Try putting on a bright pink or orange fly sometime; make a cast that straightens out your line with the fly upstream of your 'cator, and then watch how quickly that bright fly passes your indicator as the slope shallows the water. You'll see it zoom. It's quite eye-opening actually. A couple of other comments about setting up this system. We generally found it worked best if you put your split shot (no more than 1 BB shot in fast water is needed) about 6" away from your fly. The tippet between the shot and your indicator will have tension, but that last 6-inches allows the fly to move more naturally in the current as it passes through the mini-currents along the bottom. Then the fish only has to move the fly slightly to come tight to the split shot, which will twitch you 'cator. If you find yourself missing a lot of strikes, place the shot 4" away from your fly. You may not get as many strikes at that point because the fly doesn't move as freely, but you will get more hook-ups. If you are not getting strikes, and you know fish are there, move the split shot back to 8" from the fly. You won't detect as many strikes, but you will catch fish. In any piece of water where you can actually see the fish holding (such as Spring Creeks), use the indicator as a "drift-indicator", not as a strike indicator. If you get a good cast that successfully places your fly in the current you need and you are getting a dead-drift, that fly will be within about a 1-foot circle under your indicator. as you indicator gets within 2-feet of the fish, watch the fish instead of an indicator. If you see the fish move his mouth to the side and then snap back, STRIKE - that's a feeding move. If you see him move over about 6" to 9" and come to a sudden stop - STRIKE - that may or may not be a feeding move and if you don't strike, you won't know. And finally if you are upstream of the fish and you see a flash of white - STRIKE!. That flash of white is the fish opening and closing his mouth to take your fly! It's very important to wait for him to close his mouth and then STRIKE! If you strike too soon on that last one, you'll pull the fly right out of his mouth before he closes it. And, big fish take longer to close their mouth than small fish. If your nymphing for steelhead, they really keep their mouth open a long time,. So I'll drop my rod tip to let the fly drift more deeply into their mouth and then strike to the side, which almost always hooks them in the corner of the jaw. You will be amazed how many times you will see a fish take your fly without your indicator moving at all. So if you can see the fish, set up the drift and then watch the fish. One final comment about dead-drift nymphing. You don't actually have to get a dead drift to catch fish with this method, you just have to get "Close Enough to a Dead-Drift". I wrote an article by the title that was published by American Angler back in 1997 in their "Alaska" issue. I was asked by the editor to write an article about nymph fishing with sinking lines or non-dead drift methods and I went into it a bit there. Fish will actually take a drift that can be dragging slightly. Not motor-boat wake drag obviously, but dead drift with that yarn tuft leaning forward or back a little "close-enough". You have a wider range of drift variation they will accept in faster water than in slower water. In Spring Creeks, where the water moves so slowly, there is less room for drag than anywhere else. When you are using the dead-drift hinged-nymphing method, try to recognize the bucket first (prime holding spot) and arrange your drift so you perform your final mend before you drift through your fly through the bucket. Good Fishing and Thanks to Joe for another great video.

Very nice! What kind of material was the indicator? It reminds of those New Zealand wool ones

my left ear enjoyed the tip

Good stuff as always Joe. Question: Aren’t you moving the nymph every time you move (mend) the indicator, thus affecting the dead drift? 🤔

This is how I’ve been mending for a couple years.

Good tip. Which line would you recommend for steelhead indicator nymphing with a 10’ 7wt (med-fast action) for winter steelhead on a mid sized to small river (Necanicum style): Rio Elite Extreme Indicator Rio Elite Indicator S.A Amplitude Anadro Indicator … ? Thanks in advance

Great tip but wont a mend that moves the indicator make the nymph jump underneath it? I would assume this might spook trout

Thanks Joe. What length/wt/action rod is going to allow for the best mend in this style of fishing. Seems I would need a pretty nimble rod? Also, best line and/or leader for this? Long time customer. Thanks!

What kind of flyline are you using here? Do you like a euro style line for delicate mending or just a standard floating line for the casting advantage?

Nice tip. what reel use in this video? tahnks

Do you need to add flotant to tip toppers? Mine just sink almost immediately

This mending technique only works if your indicator is close enough to keep all of your line off the water, right? If you're casting over 20' or so, then you're stuck with the dropper going at the surface speed???

Joe, are you fishing above Roza dam?

“Look how elevated my rod tip is” heh

I wonder how it works with a foam style indicator?

Thanks for the great and informative video! The ads on top of the captions are so annoying!!!! Not going to consider buying it just for that reason alone 😢

The theory seems good, but I noticed that when you flip the indicator, it’s probably jerking the fly in an unnatural way.

What indicator, rod/ size and reel are you using?

No tippet ring on this setup?

Bobber fishing vs fly fishing.

I feel like when I do this it spooks the fish?

But don’t you miss strikes from constantly putting slack in the system?

i think this has been common sense nymphing since i can remember

mend, mend, mend.

Aren’t you just introducing slack between the indicator and fly again? As soon as the slack is gone the fly will begin to be pulled along by the indicator again. I. My modest experience, my intention when indi nymphing has always been to try to keep a tight line between the indi and fly and thus be able to detect strikes. I’ve observed the speed of the fly + indi system is somewhere in between the speed of the surface current and bottom current- they both effect each other. This is a necessary evil if you want to be able to see strikes on the indi.

What are you fishing for here?

Heads up, you might have an audio issue for this video. Your voice kept cutting out every 15 seconds for a couple of seconds for me. I thought it was me but watched other videos of yours and my audio was fine.

Hey dont give away all my steelhead secrets haha!

No sound.

No sound! Anyone else?

But these fish Im targeting are bobber shy and you sure can’t slap the water with the mend like that or they are gone! And I prefer to show the fish my tippet, not the butt end of my leader. “But it’s effective.”

I do not understand why fly fishermen call this devices an "indicator?" It already has a name...."BOBBER."

You are just figuring this out now? I am not sure I believe that.

We cannot call it a bobber like the peasants do.

I despise indicator fishing. I’d much rather be in touch with my fly

Indicator? Just call it a Float. It’s not rocket science.

4 minutes in I had to stop video, that's how boring it was

👍👍👍👍👍❤️ Yep I have been doing this for years !! Older guy that have been fly fishing for year As in old school if you lucky to have some one to show you ! There are a lot more tricks to this. !! Some will tell you ! Some will not !!

"Secret"?????, its called BOBBER FISHING!!!

Hey Joe good stuff mr 👍👍🪳🎏🪳the Vermonter BS